RAVENNA
Man dies in blaze
RAVENNA: A Ravenna man perished Saturday night in a house fire.
Frank Jones, 51, died of injuries suffered when a blaze broke about 9 p.m. out in the 400 block of South Meridian Street, just a few blocks south of Main Street downtown.
Tom Decker, chief investigator for the Portage County Coroner’s Office, said he does not believe anyone else was in the house at the time.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
AKRON
Comunale meeting
AKRON: Summit County Councilman Frank Comunale will have a District 4 meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Georgetown Condominiums, 35 Menlo Park Drive in West Akron.
Marilyn Keith, the councilwoman-elect for Akron City Council’s Ward 8, will discuss block watch organizations. Donna Skoda from the Summit County Public Health Office will talk about health resources.
Comunale will answer questions. District 4 includes parts of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls.
For more information, call 330-643-2725.
Adoption session
AKRON: Summit County Children Services is sponsoring a free foster care and adoption meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the agency, 264 S. Arlington St.
Those attending will learn more about foster care and adoption, including: what and how long the process is; what kind of support is provided by the agency; and the costs involved with adopting a child.
The meeting is open to the entire community and reservations are not needed. For information, call 330-379-1994.
BARBERTON
Dickens event
BARBERTON: The Barberton Public Library will present A Visit With Charles Dickens at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Mark Dawidziak, in costume, will perform his two-act reading of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol in the meeting room of the library, 602 West Park Ave.
This free show is geared toward adults. Seating is limited.
Barber mansion
BARBERTON: The authors of The Barber Mansion Recipe Book and Holiday Traditions will sign books at Snowball Book Shop from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. The bookstore is at 564 W. Tuscarawas Ave.
This will be the only signing of this new Barberton history book, which is almost entirely sold out. The few copies of the book that remain can be purchased at Snowball or at West End Hardware in Barberton.
BATH TWP.
Gift wrapping
BATH TWP: Volunteers and staff of the Summit County Historical Society will wrap gifts from noon to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 20 at Barnes and Noble, 4015 Medina Road. All donations given for the service will help support the work of the Historical Society including its educational outreach programs.
The Historical Society sponsored programs that reached more than 8,000 students in the 2009-2010 school year, Remember When, an interactive program for seniors and Summit Awards to recognize Summit County residents who have made a national impact.
NEW FRANKLIN
Park friends meet
NEW FRANKLIN: The Friends of the Portage Lakes State Park will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Tudor House, New Franklin Civic Center, 655 Latham Lane, for a holiday and general membership meeting.
A slide show based on the book Portage Lakes Then & Now by Carolyn Vogenitz, a Portage Lakes resident, will be presented during the meeting. The book documents the unique area that lies within the boundaries of Coventry Township and the cities of Green and New Franklin.
The meeting is free and open to the public. For information, contact Lynn Stamp at 330-644-2428.
northeast ohio
Mensa test
HARTVILLE: East Central Ohio Mensa will administer a Mensa Admission Test from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Hartville Branch of the Stark County District Library, 11955 Market Ave. NE.
The only qualification for Mensa membership is a score in the top 2 percent of the general population on an intelligence test.
Minimum age is 14. The cost is $40. For information, call 330-538-3263. For information about East Central Ohio Mensa, visit www.ecom.us.mensa.org.